White Cheese & Chicken Lasagna

We basically ate our way through the weekend, which in my honest opinion is one of the best ways to enjoy one's leisure time.  From burgers at B Spot (where the little man consumed an adult sized burger and fries), to the best pancakes EVER for Sunday brunch (we now double the recipe), it was a weekend of fine and satisfying dining.  We ended our weekend with this tasty alternative to traditional lasagna. 

recipe from Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:

9 whole lasagna noodles (not oven-ready)

1/2 cup butter

1 whole onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups milk

4 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided, plus additional 1/4 cup for topping (optional)

1 teaspoon each, dried basil and oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

2 cups Ricotta cheese

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

1 (10oz) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 350. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

2. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in butter until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in flour and salt, simmer until bubbly. Mix in the broth and milk; bring to a boil, stirring constantly for one minute. Stir in 2 cups of Mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Season with basil, oregano and black pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Spread 1/3 of sauce mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer with 1/3 noodles, and all of the Ricotta and chicken. Arrange 1/3 of the noodles over the chicken and layer with 1/4 of sauce mixture, the spinach, remaining 2 cups of Mozzarella and 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Arrange remaining noodles over cheese and spread remaining sauce evenly over noodles.

4. Sprinkle with parsley and additional Parmesan. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.  

Enjoy!

***

Oh yeah, we also managed to consume almost an entire half gallon of Turkey Hill Salty Carmel ice cream, a new find.   And, apparently I discovered it just in time.

Jeff was somewhat concerned when he noticed the large "Limited Edition" label on the carton. In an effort to keep my man happy, I snagged two more half gallons at the grocers this morning. I'm not even kidding, nor am I sorry for doing so. The stuff is amazing.